Govt to recommend, LG to notify budget session including date of his Address

Panel to meet again shortly to adopt draft rules

Middle of Feb being considered for convening Legislature

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 19: The UT Government is likely to recommend to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to call budget session of the Legislature in middle of February proposing dates for LG’s address to the Legislature. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds charge of the Finance Department, will present his maiden budget during the session.

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Official sources told the Excelsior that draft rules are expected to be ready before the budget session. However, the Rules Committee has to send draft rules to the Lieutenant Governor for approval. Third meeting of the Rules Panel is likely to be held shortly.
“The UT Government has to recommend dates for the budget session including likely date for address of the Lieutenant Governor to the Legislature, presentation of budget and other proposed business. The LG has to issue notification for convening the session after studying proposal forwarded by the Cabinet,” the sources said, adding the dates are likely to be finalized in the Cabinet meeting scheduled tomorrow and then recommended to the Lieutenant Governor.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has to issue the calendar after approval to the budget session schedule by the Lieutenant Governor.
Sources said the budget session is being finalized in such a way that the UT Government gets enough time to study budgetary proposals for Jammu and Kashmir in the Union budget to be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on February 1.
Moreover, budget of Jammu and Kashmir Police has also been taken over by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs from the current financial year and the JKP grants will also be reflected in the Central budget.
“Going by all possible scenarios, the budget session is likely to be convened in the middle of February. All budgetary proposals require the Legislature nod before March 31,” the sources said.
A Committee constituted by the Legislative Assembly Speaker for drafting new Rules as Jammu and Kashmir has switched over from State to UT has met twice this month and now draft rules are being prepared by the Assembly Secretariat which will be placed before the nine-member Panel, whose ex-officio Chairman is the Speaker.
Following approval by the Committee, the Rules will be sent to the Lieutenant Governor for approval.
As per the sources, the rules necessary for running the Assembly are likely to be in place before budget session while detailed set of rules are expected to be finalized later. As per Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019, the Assembly can run on existing rules till new rules are framed.
First session of the Legislature from November 4-8 was held on the basis of existing rules. It was addressed by the Lieutenant Governor on November 4. This will be second consecutive address of the LG to the Legislature whenever the budget session is called.
This will for the first time after 2018 that annual budget of Jammu and Kashmir will be presented in the Legislature.
Dr Haseeb Drabu had presented last budget of Jammu and Kashmir State in the Legislative Assembly on January 11, 2018 for the financial year of 2018-19 worth Rs 80,313 crore. However, in June 2018, Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition Government collapsed following withdrawal of support to the Government. In November, 2018, the Assembly was dissolved.
The budget for 2019-2020 was adopted by the then State Administrative Council (SAC) headed by then Governor Satya Pal Malik here on December 15, 2018 to the tune of Rs 88,911 crore.
Subsequent budgets of the Union Territory including 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 were presented and passed by the Parliament in the absence of Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ongoing financial year 2024-25 budget was presented in the Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23, 2024 worth Rs 1,18,728 crore. However, an interim budget of the UT (Vote-on-Account) was taken on February 5, 2024 in the Parliament in view of Lok Sabha elections.
Budget for 2023-24 of Jammu and Kashmir was also to the tune of Rs 1,18,500 crore.